Extensible ladder



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. MGQUILLAN. EXTBNSIBLE LADDER No.473,852. Patented A131226, 18912.

(No Model.) 3Sheets-Sheet 2'. J. MCQUILLAN. BXTENSIBLE LADDER No.473,852. PatentedApr; 26, 1892.

l 'fo (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.y J. MOQUILLAN.

BXTEJNSIBLE LADDER. A

No. 473,852. Patented Apr. 26, 1892.

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NrTnD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN MCQUILLAN, OF I'IECKER, ILLINOIS.

EXTENSIBLE LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 473,852, dated April26, 1892. Application filed June 24, 1891. Serial No. 397,347. (Nomodel.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN MCQUILLAN, a citixen of the United States,residing at Hecker, 1u the county of Monroe and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Extensible lLadder, of which the following isa specificaion.

rlhis invention relates to improvements in extensible ladders for use atfires.

The objects of my invention are to provide a cheap and simpleconstruction of extensible ladder that may be operated-that is, raisedand loweredfrom the ground to any desired degree within its capacity, soas to effect enfrances/in buildings to protect the same and its usersfrom heat and iame, to provide means for steadying the ladder whenraised, to provide means for tilting or inclining the same previous toits elevation, and, furthermore, to provide means for locking the wheelsof the truck at the time of elevation or inclination of the ladder.Various other objects and advantages of the lnvention will appear in thefollowing description, and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of a ladderconstructed in accordance with my invention, the same being in itsfolded position. Fig. 2 is a similar view, the ladder being extended.Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of Fig. 2. Fig. et is adetailin perspective of one of the removable platforms. Fig. 5 is a horizontalsection of the front truck. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of the reartruck.

Like numerals and letters of reference indicate like parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

In practicing myinvention I provide a front and rear truck, the formerconsisting of an axle 1, having ground-wheels 2, said axle beingsuitably secured in a bolster 3, upon which is mounted the seat 4 forthe driver and necessary assistant. Upon the rear face of the bolster,near the opposite ends of the same, is a pair of rearwardly-disposedrods 6, terminating at their outerends in heads 7, said rods havingmounted thereon and adapted to reciprocate a brake-bar 8, terminating atits ends in brake-shoes adapted to operate upon the ground-wheels 2. Ina bracket 9, secured to the front face of the bolster, there isfulcrumed a brake-lever 10, the upper end of which is designed formovement in the slot 11 of a locking-bar l2, the inner edge of the slotbeing toothed, as shown, for the purpose of engaging and locking thebrake-lever. At the opposite end of the bolster a triangularshapedkeeper-bracket 13 is secured, and in the swing is pivoted a lever 14,the free end of which is connected to the brake-lever 10. A cable 15 issecured to the lever 14, passes through the bolster, and is connected tothe brake-bar 8, so that, as will be eviden t, through the medium of thelevers 10 and le and the cable the brake-bar S may be drawn inwardly, sothat its brake-shoes are applied to the wheels 2. Normally,` however,the brakeshoes are thrown off or out of contact with the wheels throughthe medium of coiled springs 16, mounted upon the rods 6 and interposedbetween the brake-bar 8 and the bolster. At its rear side and center thebolster is provided with a clevis 17, through which passes a linchpin18.

The rear truck consists of the bolster 19, in which is mounted an axle20, carrying groundwheels 2i. Upon the bolster is mounted a platform 22.Frein the front face of the bolster extends forwardly a reach 23, thefront end of which enters the clevis 17 and is removably coupled to thefront truck by means of the pin 18. At its rear end the reach divergesand is connected to a cross-bar 24, to the ends of which are boltedinclined braces 25, the upper ends of which are secured to the frontedge of the platform 22. Through an opening 26, formed in the bolsternear its lower edge, passes a loose bar 27, the rear end of which isteuoned in and rigidly connected with a transverse brake-bar 28, whichbar terminates in brake-shoes 29, adapted for contact with and to lockagainst movement the wheels 2l of the rear truck. A pair of rods 30extends rearwardly from the bolster and passes through openings formedin the brakebar, in rear of which the rods are headed, and upon saidrods coiled springs 31 are mounted, which serve to normally throw thebrake-shoes out of contact with the wheel.

The ladder comprises in this instance four sections, which for thepurpose of convenience I will designate as A, B, C, and D; but. it willICO be readily understood that a greater or lesser `number of sectionsmay be employed, as the length of the ladder desired and the locality inwhich it is used in a city or town may dictate. The lower or mainladder-section comprises opposite side bars 32, which are provided attheir central lower edge with bearings 33, Said bearings being locatedbetween a pairof bearings 34, projecting from the front edge of theplatform 22 of the rear truck. Through the two sets of bearings ispassed a bolt or shaft 35, whereby the lower main section A is hinged tothe rear truck, and by the location of its joint it will be obvious thatsaid section may lie flat upon the upper side of the rear truck or betilted by mechanism hereinafter described, so that its lower end mayrest upon the ground.

36 designa-tes a pair of oppositely-inclined truck-braces, the samebeing coupled, as at 37, at their upper ends to the front edge of theplatform at itsends and terminating, as shown,at their lower ends inspikes 38, adapted to enter the pavement or ground, and thus prevent thetruck from moving forwardly or laterally. When not in use, the section Arests in a horizontal position upon the platform 22, and its front endsupports suspension-chains 39, depending from hooks 40, which hooks areadapted to engage in a removable manner the free or lower ends of thebraces 36.

The opposite side rails of the section A at their lower ends and upontheir outer sides are provided with pairs of keepers 4l, in each pair ofwhich is located an extensible leg 42, the lower end of which extendsbeyond the side rails of the section. Each legis also provided near itsupper end with a series of adjusting-holes 43, any one of which may bethrown into alignment with a hole 44, formed in the upper keeper 4l, andlocked in a desired adjusted position by means of a pin 45, attached tothe chain 46. By manipulating or properly adjusting these extensiblelegs the ladder may be given a stable support regardless of its degreeof inclination.

To the rear or upper ends of the side rails of the section A there ispivoted in brackets, as at 47, a pair of tubular brace-sections 48, ineach of which is mounted telescopically an Y extensible section 49, theupper edge of which is toothed, as shown, and is engaged by a gear-wheel50, mounted upon a shaft 5l, terminatingv' in a crank 52 and journaledin a housing 53, located upon the lower end of the tubular brace-section48. The shafts 5l also carry ratchet-wheels 54, which are locked againstmoving in one direction through the medium of pivoted gravity-pawls 55.By operating the cranks 52 it will be obvious that the two extensiblesections 49 will be run out from their tubular sections, so as to beelongated or extended to agree with the degree of inclination at whichthe ladder may be disposed, and thus constitute efficient braces for thesame. Vhen not in use, the

braces are collapsed or telescoped, swung to the front, and supported bythe platform The section A comprises opposite side rails 32, as beforementioned, and has its upper edges connected by rungs 56. The loweredges are connected by cross-bars 57 and are provided withlongitudinally-disposed ways 5S. Mounted for sliding in the ways 58 arethe opposite side bars 59 of the second ladder-section B,provided withconnecting crossbars 60, longitudinal ways 6l, and a sheetmetal lining62 between the rails. rlhe side rails are further provided with therungs 63. In the ways 6l are lnounted for sliding the side rails 64 ofthe third ladder-section C, the lower edges of which are connected bythe cross-bars 65 and provided with the ways 66 and the sheet-metallining 67. The side rails are further connected upon their upper edgesby rungs G8. The ways 66 receive the side rails 69 of the topmostsection D, which latter is provided with rungs 70 and the metal lining7l. lt will be understood that the side bars of the several sections aregraduated in width, so that they may be telescoped one within the otherand the entire number of sections thus contained within the lower ormain section A. The upper ends of theside bars 69 of the section D areprovided with grappling-hooks 72.

The side bars 32 of the section A are pro-.

vided with a vertical bearing-standard 73, one being located upon eachof the same and opposite each other. These bearing-standards have pairsof bearing-openings 74 and 75, in the lower pair 74 of which is locateda crankshaft 7 6, the crank of which is outside of the standard. Theshaft 76 carriesaroll or drum 77 between its bearings, and also aratchetwheel 78, thelatter being locked against movement in onedirection bya pawl 79. Acable 80 is secured at its center to the drum77, passes downwardly from the same and rearwardly through the opening26 of the bolster, and connects with the brake-bar 28 of the rear truck.By operating the shaft 74 the cable first draws the brake-bar snugly tothe locking position, in which its brake-shoes have contact with therear wheels of the apparatus. When the inward movement of the brake-baris arrested, the further win ding up of the cable 8O draws upon thefront end of the lower ladder-section, thus tilting the same to adesired inclination, which inclination may be pre- IIO served by theengagement of the pawl 7 9 with v the ratchet 78 in thata retrogrademovement of the crank-shaft and its drum, which would tend to permit theladder-section to resume its former posit-ion, is prevented. When theposition is thus secured, the front and rear braces are adjusted, asheretofore described,

Near its bearings the shaft is provided with ratchet-wheels 83, theteeth of which are engaged and the shaft prevented from retrograding bymeans of a pair of gravity-pawls 84E. `Between the ratchet-Wheels thereis mounted fast upon the shaft a drum orroll 85. Upon the upper ends ofthe side bars apair of standards 86 is secured, and in rear of themcableguides 87. Similar standards and guides 88 and 89 are located atthe upper ends of the sections B and C, and in the standards are mountedgrooved pulleys 90, 91, and 92, the same being located in the standardsof the sections A, B, and C, respectively.

A pair of cables 93 are secured at their upper ends to the lower ends ofthe side bars of the upper section D, pass rearwardly along the same,upwardly over the pulleys 92, through the guides 89, and connectto oneof the rungs ofthe main or lower section A, as at 9i. A second pair ofcables 95 are connected at their upper ends to the lower ends of theside bars of the ladder-section C, pass rearwardly over the same, overthe pulleys 91 thereof, through the guides S9, and are likewise securedto the rung of the main section.

A third pair of cables 96 are made fast to the lower ends of the sidebars of the sect-ion B, are passed rearwardly and upwardly over thepulleys 90, through the guides 87, and are connected to the drum 85.

97 designates platforms, which are normally carried when out ofoperation in keepers 98, secured to the side rails of the4 main sectionA. Each platform is lined upon its under side with metal, as indicatedat 99, and is provided at one end with an L-shaped recess 100. Eyes 101are located two at the rear end and one at the front end, and in thoseat the rear end a pair of chains 102, terminating in hooks 103, arelocated. These chains embrace the opposite side rails of theladder-sections, and the hooks engage with the front edges thereof. Achain 104 is located in the rear eye of the platform and terminates in ahook 105. When in position upon a ladder-section, the platform isdesigned to rest at its rear end upon a doorway or window-sill, wherebyexit from the building at points below the upper end of the ladder maybe secured. When in operative position, the chain 104;, together withits hook 105, is passed through the window and anchored to a bureau,bedstead,window sill, or other convenient device.

In keepers 10G, a pair of which is located upon one rung of each of theladder-sections, with the exception of the uppermost, are mountedrotatably U -shaped locking-pins 107. I/Vhen the ladder is distended,these pins are rotated so as to engage the rungs of the adjacentsection, and hence the severe strain is not entirely borne by the cable93, but is supported by said pins, and should the cable part the ladderwill not collapse.

The above being the construction, the operation of the apparatus is asfollows: rlhe apparatus being run to the place of coniiagration, thecoupling-pin 19 is withdrawn, so that the rear truck is disconnectedfrom the front truck, after which the crank-shaft 7 6 is operated toincline the ladder and lock the rear wheels, as before described. Thelegs 42 are adjusted, the supports or braces 36 and 48 swung out to thefront and rear of the truck, and the latter adjusted to the inclinationof the ladder. It now simply remains to operate the shaft 81 so as todistend the ladders, engaging the grappling-hooks at the upper ends "ofthe same with aconvenient window, cornice, or other object jutting fromthe face of the building. The locking-pins are then thrown into alocking position and the platforms 97 employed or not, as the occasionmay require. It will be noted that the sheetmetal linings of theladder-sections preserve the same, together with the occupants of theladders, from scorching or burning and also from the excessive heat.After the coniiagration it is simplynecessary to raisethelockingpawlsout of engagement with the ratchetwheels and permit theshaft 81 to relax the cables 93, 95, and 96, whereby the weight of theladder-sections will cause the same to descend and the ladder collapseor telescope, whereby it may be readily swung to a horizontal positionand the supports swung up to their positions. The platform 22 over reartruck may be occupied by two men during the travel of the apparatus toand from the point of use.

It will be'understood in instances where there are more than threeladder-sections the cables for operating the remaining sections will beof sufficient length to permit them to distend, and when,therefore, theyare nested such cables will be slack.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In an apparatus of theclass described, the combination, with a rear truck and a hinged mainladder-section, of a brake-bar yieldingly supported out of contact withthe rear wheels of the truck, a shaft journaled in the mainladder-section, a drum mounted thereon, means for locking the same andfor rotating the shaft, and cables extending from the drum to thebrake-bar, substantially as specified.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination, with therear truck comprising the bolster having an opening, an axle, andground-wheels, of a bar mounted for reciprocation in the opening, abrake-bar mounted thereon and terminating in shoes for operating on thewheels, rods extending from the bolster through the brake-bar, springsmounted on the rods and interposed between the brake-bar and bolster, aladder-section hinged to the truck, a drum journaled in theladder-section, means for operating the drum, and a cable connected atits center to the drum, having its terminals passed through the openingin the bolster and connected with the brake-bar, substantially asspecified.

IOO

IIO

3. In an apparatus of theclass described, the combination, with the reartruck and a ladder-section hinged to the front edge of the same, of thebraces 36, loosely connected to the front of the truck and terminatingin anchoring-points, substantially as specified.

4. In an apparatus ofthe class described, the combination, with the reartruck and hinged ladder-section, of the inclined braces 36, looselyconnected, as at 37, to the front of the truck and terminating in thepoints 38,

the hooks extending from the opposite sides' of the ladder-section, andthe brace-supporting chains connected to the hooks, adapted t0 be passedaround the braces, and removably connected with the hooks, substantiallyas specied.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, a series of ladder-sectionstelescopically connected, in combination with pulleys mounted upon theupper ends of the sections, a drum mounted for rotation in the lowersection, cables leading from the lower end of the second section,passing over the pulleys of the irst section, and connected to theWindlass, and cables connected to the-lower end of each section abovethe second and passing over the pulleys at the upper ends of the nextadjacent section below and secured iXedly to the rst section,substantially as specified.

6. The combination, With the ladder, of the platform 97, having therecess 100 at one corner, adapted to receive a side rail of the ladder,the short chain at the inner end of the recess, the long chain at theinner opposite end of the platform, and the chain 104k at the outer endof the platform,the said chains terminating in hooks, substantially asspecied.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my oWn I have hereto affixedmy signature in 4o presence ot' two Witnesses.

JOHN MCQUILLAN. Witnesses:

JOHN RAPP, LEWIS J. GRuGsoN.

